Goshen College
Goshen, Indiana

Goshen College has hosted the Goshen Conference on Religion and Science (GCRS) since 2001. MRSS was formed with a core planning group of the regular participants from four church-affiliated institutions in geographic proximity to one another: Goshen College, Bethel College, the University of St. Francis, and Bluffton University. These institutions are considered “charter members” of an ongoing effort in outreach and diversification throughout the Upper Midwest region (Ohio, Michigan, Indiana). The steering committee of MRSS consists of academics in physics, Old Testament, mathematics, philosophy, and biology from the charter institutions. Primarily, this is a research and discussion group, with meetings facilitated by members to review and discuss books and journal articles. Books considered for the group include titles from Willem Drees, George Ellis, Niels Henrik Gregersen, John Haught, Nancey Murphy, Arthur Peacocke, Ted Peters, John Polkinghorne, and Holmes Rolston. Regularly scheduled business meetings to focus on subjects and speakers for GCRS as the key event and catalyst for providing additional forum, member recruiting and outreach to other area institutions and the surrounding community. Individual membership is not limited to faculty and students, but open to all persons interested in engaging in the dialogue between science and faith. MRSS also supports a College program providing speakers and programs to chapel services or similar programs of member institutions, and a Youth Program for high school students and provides stipends for students to attend the yearly conference. Matching funds are provided by charter member institutions and the Miller-Jeschke Program for Christian Faith and the Natural Sciences at Goshen College.